


Soft as Snow

by TAle_xistime



Category: The Blacklist (US TV)
Genre: Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Lizzington - Freeform, Love, One Shot, Romantic Soulmates, Slow Dancing, Snow, inspired by the literally truckload of snow that came overnight, seriously it was like a foot overnight, they complete each other, written at 3 in the morning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TAle_xistime/pseuds/TAle_xistime
Summary: It's Christmas Eve and Red is struggling with the anniversary of his family's murder. But he isn't alone."“Lizzie, we cannot dance properly without music.” She hummed in thought, before coming up with an idea. One just as corny as his joke earlier.“Well Red, we should do something about that.”“Is that so?”“Yep.” She moved slightly away from his body, planting his hands on her waist for him. He raised his eyebrow in amused confusion, wondering what she was going to do."
Relationships: Elizabeth Keen/Raymond Reddington
Comments: 12
Kudos: 44





	Soft as Snow

**Author's Note:**

> Shameless fluff to help us continue to cope. This came together rather quickly, so hopefully it isn't too bad. Thanks to everyone who gave me so much love and support over Green Eyed Monster, that was just so amazing. You guy's comments are the highlight of my day. I love you all! Please leave me some more comments on this one shot!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the blacklist, or the characters. I do own the feels, and I also own this improved version of the characters who have been so grossly misconstrued on the show. Which is not my canon. I gain no profit from my stories. But y'all can continue to pay me in comments.  
> ;)

When her eyes blink open, the first thing that registers is his absence. His heat suddenly gone from between their cornflower blue sheets. She presses her hand down to the bed, checking for any sign of his missing warmth. It’s cold.

He’s been gone for some time.

She sighs discontentedly, she knows she won’t be able to fall asleep now. Knowing that he’s up again. Not that she would want to fall back asleep. As much as he would rather her fall back asleep than worry about him.

He’s really struggling this year. And she knows that. He does this often, getting up in the middle of the night to pace, or read, or listen to music. Busy work, really, anything to keep the nightmares away.

He needs someone. She’s happy to do the job. She flips back the blankets carefully, feet silently landing on the white carpet beneath their bed.

She stalks out to the living room silently, checking for him there first. She finds him standing, arms crossed staring out the window of their newest home.

He’s watching the snow, as it drifts down gently, coating the sky in pure and clean white. It’s coming down rather quickly, as calm and pristine the view is.

She doesn’t bother creeping up behind him, knowing it’s not wise to startle him when he is so deep in thought. She makes her presence known by her heavier footsteps, not wanting to scare him. It hasn’t gone unnoticed how high strung he has been as of late.

He doesn’t turn around to face her, but with the incline of his ear in the direction of her noise, she knows he can tell she is there.

She steps up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He hums absentmindedly, delighting in her touch.

She kisses the back of his shoulder blade, her lips coasting over his upraised scars coated by a thin black long sleeve shirt.

She moves up slightly, kissing the side of his neck and the top of his shoulder as she rests her chin there. 

“Shoveling the sidewalk will be fun tomorrow. Not it.” She says playfully, bringing her hand up to touch the tip of his nose.

She feels his chest huff in quiet laughter as he leans his head on top of hers, lightly pinning her to his shoulder. She relaxes her hand slightly on his nose, her palm and fingers falling closer to his mouth.

He kisses her fingers softly, making his way down to her palm.

“I think when you say not it Lizzie, you are supposed to touch your own nose, not someone else’s.” She giggles again, glad to feel his mood lighten. She moves her hand down and hugs him tighter. 

“I think you must be mistaken Mr. Reddington. Because that is my nose. In fact,” She stops briefly, moving her hand under the hem of his shirt. “This all is mine.”

He melts under her touch instantly, and gives a small chortle of his own.

“You are indeed correct, Mrs. Reddington.”

He unclenches her grip on his torso, and flips her around slowly, like how he would spin her during a dance.

He takes her left hand, and kisses the small indent of where his promise ring sits during the day.

The promise of though he cannot marry her legally, he would not endanger her that way, for if any of his adversaries found out he had a wife, a weak spot, she would constantly be in danger, he would always be hers. Always. 

She insisted however that when it was just them, no enemies to keep safe from, no government to run from, no worries of being caught by any number of people, that they would be as good as married. He didn’t argue with that. 

She didn’t need a certificate to know that Raymond Reddington was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her days with.

He regretted not being able to give her the life she deserved, a wedding with all her friends and family, a husband she could go out in public with, a life without having to worry about being used as leverage by Reds enemies to hurt him.

A man that she could have children with. 

But she insisted that she only wanted him. That he was enough.

He still had some trouble believing that he could be enough for her, that he could ever be deserving of her love, but he was getting better. 

And she was proud of him. He was doing better.

It was painful, and hard for him, but he had let her in. He had her in his corner now.

Even now, on December 24, when he was struggling to keep the demons out of his head, he would always have her.

She had been so wonderfully kind and supportive, not caring about being woken up by his nightmares of his daughter and wife and their blood coating him and his daughters bedroom. 

She understood his pain. And how hard the anniversary of their deaths were every year. 

Even now, decades later.

He never really had gotten the time to heal or grieve, having been forced to run as a fugitive for the rest of his life, only a day after their passing. They haunted him everyday.

But most especially during the long and dark days of December. And twice over on every Christmas Eve.

She placed her hand delicately on his cheek, feeling his stubble nipping delightfully at her palm. He leaned into her touch, craving any affection he could take.

“Couldn’t sleep?” She gave him a concerned look, tracing lightly under his eye with her thumb. 

“No. Not tonight.” He gave a small pained smile, and she didn’t need to ask why.

She knew that he blamed himself, though wrongfully so. She also knew how vividly the scene had been burned into his mind, and how it had a tendency to make itself known in his head whenever he closed his eyes. 

“I’m sorry Ray. I love you. They love you. They know it’s not your fault. They are safe and loved and you are as well. It’s ok to grieve Red. But don’t beat yourself up over something you had no control over. They wouldn’t want that for you.” 

She stood on her tippy toes then, and leaned in to kiss his forehead.

When she pulled away he pulled her tightly into his larger frame, resting his chin atop her head. 

He spoke softly, almost too quiet to hear. 

“I don't know what I would do without you, Lizzie. You are my everything.” His voice broke slightly as he finished his sentence and Liz could feel the weight and truth of what he said.

He kissed her hair, running his hands in circles over her back. 

They stood that way for a while, just swaying softly in the moonlight.

She pulled away from his grasp to give him a small peck, one which he quickly turned into more than just a chaste kiss. They pulled away, breathless, leaving Lizzie's hair slightly disheveled.

He delicately moved her, pushing her to stand directly in front of the window. Standing her in front of the snow covered scene of trees behind them. He positioned her, hands on her shoulders, like he would when positioning a model for a camera shoot.

“Red? What- what are you doing?” He gave a small hum, a smirk on his face, hands still on her shoulder turning them slightly.

“Well my love,” he started huskily, voice lowered to the very depths of his timbre. “I am staring at the two most beautiful sights I have yet to see.” She immediately bent over at the waist giggling, amazed at the absurd corniness of his joke.

Though, he was dead serious about her beauty. He practically worshiped her. She didn’t mind.

“That was smooth Reddington” was all she was able to get out between chortles.

He pulled her in for another kiss, filled with longing and adoration against her up turned lips. It made her weak in the knees. His tongue glided softly over the back of her teeth, making her buzz with the electricity of his touch.

Sinking into him, she threw her arms over his neck, hanging off of him, tethered to his gravitational pull. She moaned into his mouth, and he reveled in how he had the innate ability to completely undo her.

They moved away, lips parted, gasping in each other’s scent.

He rested a hand on her cheek, memorizing her every feature. Saying nothing. Knowing already what the others thoughts consisted of. Not needing to speak aloud to have a conversation.

They calmed quickly, becoming more at ease than before. She pulled him in again, resting her ear above his heart. They started mindlessly swaying, moving to their own music. She suddenly felt so completely overwhelmed with love and devotion, her eyes became wet. She turned her head, sniffling into his cotton shirt. She felt so safe and whole in his arms, she never wanted to leave. 

“I love you Raymond.” He closed his eyes, to absorb this moment, to store it away for later. To reflect on when he was at his most desperate. 

He whispered reverently in her hair.  
“I love you too.”

They stood, still swaying and moving to inaudible music.

“Lizzie, we cannot dance properly without music.” She hummed in thought, before coming up with an idea. One just as corny as his joke earlier.

“Well Red, we should do something about that.” 

“Is that so?”

“Yep.” She moved slightly away from his body, planting his hands on her waist for him. He raised his eyebrow in amused confusion, wondering what she was going to do.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him close. They were only a breath away, a few inches off of each other's lips.

Her smile reached her eyes, absolutely giddy. He couldn’t help but wonder if he was dreaming. Everything he wanted here, in his arms.

He smiled back, star-struck at how beautiful she looked in this domesticity, her hair sticking out at various angles, in her socked feet, holding him close enough to hear her heart beating. Her heart beat, only for him.

She locked eyes with him, and gave a small giggle again, before clearing her throat.

She started to lead them in a box step, all the while humming quietly the first verse of Can’t Help Falling in Love.

Her voice was still hoarse with sleep, but she had never been more amazing and endearing than in that moment.

He had a huge smile plastered on his face, his emerald eyes shining in the moonlight. She felt fulfilled knowing that she was the reason that the smile was there because of her. She lived for that smile.

All she wanted was for him to be happy. He deserved it. He deserved everything.

By the time she got to the first line of the chorus, he spun her tenderly, and then dipped her. She closed her eyes, and laughed as she hung off him, temporarily having to stop her humming to control herself.

A deep throaty laugh escaped his lips as he watched her slightly titter at the sudden movement of him dipping her.

He brought her back up to him, their noses brushing. He could see her eyes start to droop, and it dawned on him how late it was. He brought the back off her hand up to his lips and kissed it delicately, bowing to her. Still intent on being as silly as possible. If only just to see her smile.

“Thank you for this dance my dear. Come on. We have to go to see Isabella, Dembe, and the baby for presents tomorrow. It’s Ellie’s first Christmas.” 

He was beaming at the thought of holding Ellie again, his heart absolutely melted whenever he saw her tiny body curl up against his chest.

Liz loved to watch him with her, he was amazing at soothing a crying Ellie with his rich, deep voice. He was also wonderfully at animating a story, using different voices for the corresponding story book characters.

Isabella was always thankful for the break.

Dembe had decided to spend the holidays at his daughters house, spending some much needed time with his grandbaby.

Isabella had invited Ray and Elizabeth over for Christmas morning, excited to meet the woman that her Uncle Ray just could not stop talking about.

Isabella and Dembe were happy for Raymond, he needed a stable force in his life. Something to keep him tethered to the good in life.

Liz nodded to his suggestion, pecking his cheek before leading him to their bed.

They settled under the covers quickly, Liz’s head resting on his chest, curled into his side. Red listened to her breathing, the soft and steady song of her heart lulling him to sleep.

She drifted off almost immediately. Red quickly following, a small smile on his face.

He didn’t have any more nightmares that night, with his Lizzie there to ward them off.


End file.
